F- Toffee, caramel, hint of raisin, a little banana (hence banana bread in the nose), earthiness, and the signature GLBC yeast flavour. This is excellent, not quite perfect but just about as outstanding as any brewer can make a Vienna lager. [4.25]

M- Medium bodied, refreshing and crisp yet smooth and silky at the same time. They did a great job on this one. Very drinkable, no real effects of the ABV on the flavour at all. [4.25]

O- Excellent take on the style, as I would expect from GLBC and their tradition of brewing excellent lagers. Why I never reviewed this before, I'm not sure, but I ought to get around to reviewing their other offerings as well! [4.25]

Looks beautiful with a deep amber body and tan head. No suspended yeast or floaties makes for a very polished look. Scent is in the background, nothing pronounced other than a malt blend. Taste begins with mostly malts, then gives way to hops. Notes of red apple were also present. Mouthfeel is soapy and carbonated with significant, and a surprising amount of alcohol warmth for a 6.2% ABV lager. Overall, a solid anytime beer. Great first impression with Great Lakes!

Overall: This is the way lagers should taste. The macro-brews obviously have nothing on this. I was very impressed with it overall, and the fact that it was on draught made me a very happy man. I would definitely get this again (and probably will).

Appearance- Pours a rich ruby-amber hue with a frothy 2 finger or more head with good retention.

Smell- A sweet malt smell, bits of caramel and toffee in there.

Taste- At first there is much more a grainy flavor than the smell suggests. This transcends into a sweeter finish, with the toffee flavor coming through later. Slight roasted type of qulaity to the taste as well. Some hop bitterness in there ever so slightly. Dry finish.

Mouthfeel- Medium in body; ample carbonation.

Overall- A unique and memorable lager. This is a good one to sip on as it is not super light but has plently of flavor. Not the everyday lager for sure. A great beer to try to divert oneself from the norm. Another Great Lakes home run.

A: Looks like free-flowing honey on the pour, which swells into a beautiful clear amber. Small streams of bubbles rise slowly from the bottom at the start, before dying away to leave the beer a deep amber shading towards russet. A thick head of foam forms, which slowly dies down to a cap. The lacing is minimal, but present.

S: Sweet toasted malt and caramel, wreathed around bready yeast with some faint notes of rich soil and ripe fruit.

T: Mother of god, this is a fantastic Vienna lager. The taste opens with sweet bread and lightly toasted caramel, before some hints of walnut, raisin, and pecan join in. There's some slight bitterness from the malt, as well as an earthen, loamy bitter that offsets the sweetness just enough. Warm yeasty bread with toffee-like tinges form the finish, which lingers a bit without coming close to overstaying its welcome.

M: A light, smooth, silky lager, with exactly the right amount of carbonation to avoid feeling flat without sparkling up too much. It feels heavy enough to impart a feeling of drinking a good beer, while remaining light enough for refreshment duty.

O: I have yet to encounter another Vienna lager that's comparable to this one. It's virtually everything I could look for in this style, from the complex malt profile to the slight hop presence and the silken mouthfeel. This is a staple of my beer enjoyment.

A: Clear, dark reddish amber. One finger of tan head.S: Scent of baking spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg, derived from the noble hops. Toasty caramel malt peeks through the nose as well. T: Toasted caramel malt makes its presence first with a sweet, smoky taste. The malts give this a nice body. The hop presence comes out in the end as a tingle of bitterness on the tongue. Finish is neither too sweet nor too dry.M: Medium bodied. Slightly creamy. Very drinkable.O: Very good crisp lager. Reminds me of some of the Marzen beers.

Good malty-spicy beer,smelled like bread rising,went great with pizza nice high alcohol content went well with the spiciness of the pizza.I honestly havent had a bad beer from Great Lakes yet.Best brewery in the midwest,with Kalamazoo(my beloved Bells)not far behind.

Pours a solid amber color with mild clarity, a touch of haze in the middle of the glass. Light beige head that doesn't last too long and doesn't leave much lacing either. Crisp aroma, almost with some fruit tartness initially; light berries and apple skins. Lightly toasted caramel grains abound in this one, with a slightly floral underbody. The first sip follows through with the crispiness of the aroma, headed by an array of toasted grains and malts, light caramel and toffee flavors. Some mild apples and raisin fruitiness comes through and sweetens things up just a bit. Slight hoppy taste in the background, a tiny floral essence, but they never get very bitter, maybe only a touch to balance the malt sweetness. Tasty biscuit-like yeast in the finish; thin body, medium-high carbonation, with a crispy, clean, refreshing finish.

Wow, this beer really surprised me, although I shouldn't be surprised - I've been very happy with most of GL's brews. Nice mix of hops and malts, not too overpowering on either. Great, crisp finish all around, and certainly one of the best lagers to cross my palate in some time.

Vienna style lagers are a great style of beer - a little sweeter than your average ale, but still completely drinkable and full of flavor. Elliot Ness is the best that I've had in the style: sweeter malts are used, but absolutely no sugar rush and still a solid bite of hops. Smell, carbonation and appearance are attractive and spot on. What really sets this beer apart though is its balance and drinkability. There are too many good craft beers that are good, but become unattractive or even undrinkable after 2 or 3. However with Elliot Ness you could happily drink it all night long.

Price is very reasonable as well. If you haven't tried the style and happen across a sixer or even a case I highly recommend giving it a try.

S: A roasty, sweet and sour smell. The sweet and sour is almost reminiscent of lactose.

T: Starts with a breadiness and goes into sweeter tangy finish. It has a nice sweet, dry aftertaste - makes it feel crisp and drinkable. There is some hop bite but it is playing second fiddle to the malts. I can detect a nuttiness there too. Really tasty beer.

A: Clear coppery amber color with an abundant foamy white head. Good retention and excellent lacing all the way down the glass.

S: Light caramel malt and sweet brown sugar. Perhaps a complex but light hint of hops if you look for them.

T: The first thing on the palate is a complex but even malty sweetness that stays together well as it washes over the tongue. The sweetness is predominant but not overpowering and very even in flavor. There are some bittering hops that bring everything close to balance - but still allowing for the sweetness to be primary. The finish is the best place to catch the hops - just a bit citrus in the linger.

M&D: Mouthfeel is moderate with and creamy. The carbonation is moderate and persistent. The finish has a bit of levity to it that makes you want to take another pull. I think I could drink these all day! Very nice.

Hmmm, I thought I bought a sixer of Edmund Fitzgerald. How'd this one get in there? Anyway....

Bottle says "Jul 9, 04"-Oops! Pours an orangish-amber color. Nice foamy head that leaves a little lace. I'm not crazy about the smell, but it's not obtrusive. Taste is all caramelly malt-very nice and warming on a cold rainy night-with a bit of hops that provides some balance. (This one actually tastes a little like Rogue's Dead Guy, although I like that one better.)

Even though I'm not an amber lager (or ale) type of guy, this one is pretty darn good (glad I have another bottle), and the fact that it's past due doesn't seem to have affected the taste (but maybe the smell). If only it was available locally...